Benjamin Johnson Melton Jr. (1920 - 2017)

Born 6 Dec 1920 in El Reno, Canadian County Oklahoma

Ancestors

Husband of Marjorie Laurene (Dinsmore) Melton — married 9 Oct 1942 in Kelly Army Field, San Antonio, Bexor County, Texas

Descendants

Died 29 Apr 2017 at age 96 in Richland, Benton Co. Washington

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carrie Lippincott [send private message]

Biography

Benjamin Melton, Jr. 1924

Benjamin Johnson Melton, Jr. was born on 6 December 1920 in El Reno, Canadian County Oklahoma.^[1] He graduated from Clayton High School [New Mexico] and attended New Mexico State College in Las Cruces, Mexico, where he met his future wife, Marjorie Dinsmore.^[2]

In 1930, at age 9, Ben was enumerated with his parents and his sister May Martha in Clayton, Union, New Mexico, United States.^[3]

In 1935, the Benjamin Melton Family was living in Clayton, New Mexico.^[4]

In 1940, Ben is living with his parents and sisters in Clovis, Election Precinct 1 Clovis, Curry, New Mexico, United States.^[4]

Military Service

Benjamin J. Melton - 1947, Clovis, NM

Ben left college to enlist in War World II as an aviation cadet in the army air corps on 16 January 1942 at Kirtland Field, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. ^[5]

Ben served in the military most of his life, continuing on in the Air National Guard and then as an officer in the US Air Force reserves, eventually retiring as a Lt. Colonel.^[2]

Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin J. Melton, Jr. retired from the United States Air Force on 6 December 1980.^[6]

Marriage and Children

Benjamin married Marjorie Dinsmore on 9 October 1942 at Kelly Field, Army Air Field, San Antonio, Bexor County, Texas.^[7][8]

Ben and Marje had the following children:

1. Living Melton
2. Living Melton
3. Living Melton
4. Donald Melton

Ben returned to school after WWII, graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Mexico.^[2]

Ben was a staff member at the University of New Mexico from 1948-1950.^[9]

In 1950-1951, he was production engineer with the Gulf Oil Corporation.^[9]

Atomic Energy ID Benjamin J. Melton

Ben was a staff a member at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory from 1951-1967, doing research and development.^[9]

Benjamin J. Melton, Jr. received a certificate of registration from the State of New Mexico authorizing him to practice Professional Engineering on 23 November 1956^[10]

He joined the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), one of DOE’s predecessor agencies in Richland, Washington in 1967.^[9] He held verious positions in the AEC, Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) and the U.S. Department of Energy, retiring in 1984, retiring as the Director of External Affairs for the Richard Operation Department.^[2]

A Life Well Lived

Ben and Marjorie 1943

Ben lived a life of adventure that he found very fulfilling. He would tell people... "I married the prettiest woman I ever met, was a flight instructor and test pilot, flew the biggest plane that existed at the time, the fastest plane that existed at the time, worked as a roustabout, shot the biggest buck I ever saw, caught the biggest salmon I ever saw and worked as an explosives engineer." The only daring thing he never got around to was skydiving.^[2]

"Ben was an avid photographer spending hours in the darkroom and later at the computer in Photoshop. He also enjoyed model railroads, camera collecting and tinkering his his shop. He had every tool know to mankind and some that he invented."^[2]

To read about Ben's start in photography, see The History of the Melton Photography Studio by Marjorie Melton.

Death

Ben passed away peacefully in his sleep on 29 April 2017 in Richland, Benton County, Washington.^[11][12]

Sources

1. ↑ Benjamin and Clara (Simpkins) Family Bible.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Benjamin Johnson Melton, Jr. Memorial Brochure.
3. ↑ Family Search. United States Census, 1930 Ben Melton, Clayton, Union, New Mexico, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 9, sheet 1B, line 89, family 19, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1400; FHL microfilm 2,341,135.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Family Search. United States Census, 1940 Household of Benjamin J Melton, Election Precinct 1 Clovis, Curry, New Mexico, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 5-5, sheet , line , family , Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012,
5. ↑ Family Search. United States World War II Army Enlistment Records citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
6. ↑ Certificate of Retirement Awarded to Benjamin J. Melton, Jr.
7. ↑ Marjorie (Dinsmore) Melton
8. ↑ Benjamin Melton & Marje Dinsmore Marriage Certificate
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3} Melton Archives. DOE - Background Sheet for Benjamin J. Melton, Senior External Affairs Specialist the Richland, WA Operations Office,,
10. ↑ State of New Mexico State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, Certificate # 2352
11. ↑ Benjamin Johnson Melton, Jr. Memorial Brochure.
12. ↑ Personal Knowledge of Carrie Lippincott